Younger moviegoers aren’t being taught how to behave

Monday

Nov 30, 2009 at 12:01 AMNov 30, 2009 at 3:48 PM

Movies are a great source of enjoyment for me, and I see most of the movies that come out.

But in the last year or so, I’ve observed an increasing number of people, most of them younger, disregarding the messages that all theaters play, that everyone turn off their cell phones and refrain from talking so they don’t disturb the rest of the audience.

Recently I saw “The Fourth Kind” (“Rated: PG-13 for violent/disturbing images, some terror, thematic elements and brief sexuality”). The first several rows were almost filled with what looked like preteens — with no adults chaperoning them — who used their cell phones, talked loudly and moved frequently during the movie.

They were behaving in the theater as if they were in their own living rooms and completely disregarded the rest of us, even after being asked to be quiet

A police officer came in to watch them and they behaved while he was there, but as soon as he was gone, they were back at it. It appeared that these kids were not there so much to see the movie as to be with their friends.

The staff at movie theaters need to figure out how to deal with this problem, as it is getting out of hand.

Meanwhile, it would be nice if more parents taught their children how to behave in a public setting, and accompanied them to the theaters, especially when they are seeing movies that have violence. Please teach your kids what is OK at home and what is not OK in public.

I know I can’t be the only one who has observed this increasing problem.

Kids, please be aware of others around you and please be respectful of them.